Independence Day: Supporting The Cause of Liberty and Freedom!

Do you feel it?  The electricity in the air is tangible. Nerves are taut and frazzled. Do you see it? It's a wariness and a weariness; most notably in the eyes and voices around you.  There's a readiness and a resolve.

I've heard it said more and more lately ..... "I'm so ready for it all to fall in, so we can start over and build from the ground up. Then maybe we can begin where we started and re-institute small government, and return the power to the people. Until we do, we will continue to lose our personal freedoms until we won't recognize ourselves anymore. And I can't stand this slow torture."

Why would anyone wish for the destruction of our economy, our political system, our way of life? Let me attempt to answer those questions.

Perhaps it's because we still have a modicum of freedom-loving spirit still in our DNA.  Maybe what brought those earliest settlers to Jamestown in 1607 and fueled the fire of liberty in their descendants in 1776, still courses through our veins.

I contend that the American soul recognizes that God intended us to live as free men, and it is inherently against our human nature to surrender our ability to become all we can be. We rejoice in our own accomplishments, instead of degrading our innate talents through entitlements and handouts. 

Another component of the "let it all fall in" mindset is the desire to avoid a slow Argentina-style slide into Depression and destabilization. This coincides with a "just rip off the bandaid and let's start the healing" mentality, instead of prolonging the pain by slowly picking at the edges of the adhesive and lengthening the duration of the suffering.

Now, don't get me wrong --- Americans aren't quitters. We don't give up! But anyone who thinks we can turn this massive ship of debt, corruption and constraint around needs to examine the social, historical and ideological forces at work. This situation didn't just happen overnight, and we instinctively know we're headed in the wrong direction. You see, Americans are innovators, trailblazers and pioneers. We chafe under oppressive limitations; we perform our best (and our country benefits most) when enterprise is allowed to flow; free and unfettered.

We will admit to our own failings; we fell asleep on the job. We didn't protect and preserve what was diligently carved out for us by our Founding Fathers, and was fought for and died for over the last two hundred-plus years. And I think that weighs heavier on our hearts than we want to admit. We've wasted our heritage and our God-given blessings. And we want to make it right!

So that's why there are so many of us who want to take on the mantle of leadership and responsibility that is so desperately needed in these times. We are ready to pick up the pieces and re-establish the precious principles that set this nation apart from any other people or country in history.

We don't relish the hardships and misery that will be a necessary part of pushing that re-set button. But we're ready to quit pretending the economy is in recovery; the culture is healthy; and our leaders have our best interests in mind. The quicker we face the music, the faster we can regain our footing and get back on solid ground.

As James Madison so eloquently expressed in 1787, "Is it not the glory of the people of America that, while they have paid a decent regard to the opinions of former times and other nations, they have not suffered a blind veneration for antiquity, for custom, or for names to overrule the suggestions of their own good sense, the knowledge of their own situation, and the lessons of their own experience? To this manly spirit, posterity will be indebted for the possession, and the world for the example, of the numerous innovations displayed on the American theater in favor of private rights and public happiness .... Happily for America, and happily we trust for the whole human race, the founders of the nation pursued a new and more noble course. They accomplished a revolution which has no parallel in the annals of human society. They reared the fabrics of governments which have no model on the face of the globe. They formed the design of a great confederacy, which it is incumbent on their successors to improve and perpetuate."    

The emphasis in the previous sentence is mine, and it is the very reason I can understand the desire to get on with our reconstruction as a nation. Sometimes the only way to "improve and perpetuate" a great design, (or in modern terms, "to revive and keep alive"), is to let it fail and rebuild it stronger and to a higher standard. We know what that looks like and we're ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work!

Everything you just read was a post I wrote in May of 2012! Can you believe that was eleven years ago? Somehow, by God's Grace, as we celebrate this 4th of July, the nation is still hanging on by a thread. As precarious as it seemed in 2012, we have slid even further down the rabbit hole. We are more deeply divided along the lines of politics, ethics, culture, and morality. The battle between Good and Evil is more pronounced and more evident. God has pulled back the curtain, revealing the wickedness, lawlessness and depravity of the Evil One and his servants upon our nation; forcing us to take a side. 

For the last 11 years, we've pretty much been able to avoid making that choice. We've limped along, hoping and praying that some righteous leader would lead us out of our crippling national debt; heal us from a devastating world pandemic; and restore our individual freedoms that have been increasingly stripped away. But now, we can no longer fool ourselves that our beloved nation is on the verge of collapse, both from within and without. Have we ever seen the future look so despairingly fragile?

I submit to you that 247 years ago, we were facing a similar crisis. Much like today, the inhabitants of the 13 colonies were divided regarding the road the nation was going down. And full support of the Declaration of Independence was not supported by all members of the Continental Congress. A representative of Congress rode horseback 80 miles to reach Philadelphia and break a tie in support of independence. In fact, the names of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were withheld from the public for more than six months to protect the signers. If independence had not been achieved, the treasonable act of the signers would have, by English law, resulted in their deaths. They believed that strongly in their bid for freedom!

Do we have that same spirit, that same commitment to independence today? I love that this year, I am hearing more people say they are celebrating "Independence Day", rather than the "4th of July". I think that is in keeping with the spirit of what this holiday represents. After all, our Founding Fathers wrote a document titled, The Declaration of Independence. This was an important step in the evolution of a nation and of mankind.  The Founders of our nation were declaring that they were ready to live their lives as free men, unencumbered by the heavy hand of an oppressive authority; that they wanted to live their lives according to the "Laws of Nature", which in the 18th century meant certain fundamental principles or moral standards that were apparent to everyone.  This thought was perhaps best expressed by English philosopher John Locke, in his Second Treatise on Government: "The natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on earth, and not to be under the will or legislative authority of man, but to have only the law of nature for his rule."  These laws of nature were understood to be that which the God of the Universe had instituted when He created man in His image.

On this Independence Day, 2023, it is important to know and understand where we came from. Let us renew the hopes of Samuel Adams, upon which this nation was founded: I thank God that I have lived to see my country independent and free. She may long enjoy her independence and freedom if she will. It depends on her virtue ... The sum of all is [this], if we would most truly enjoy the gift of Heaven, let us become a virtuous people; then shall we both deserve and enjoy it. While, on the other hand, if we are universally vicious and debauched in our manners, though the form of our Constitution carries the face of the most exalted freedom, we shall in reality be the most abject slaves.

So what shall our destiny be? Can we restore our virtue [our honor, our goodness]; or will this nation just be a footnote in history, known for its violence, corruption, and debauchery? July 4, 1776 was a day of far-reaching consequences; just as these days are.  We are faced with no less a serious choice. Will we continue to labor under repressive directives from a governing body that pays no mind to our concerns? Or will we decide that our liberties are precious and worth standing up for? I contend that there is not much difference between the significance of that July 4th and this one. The only question is, are we as brave and committed as they were? And believe me, the future of our children and nation -- and maybe even their survival -- depends on understanding the significance of July 4th and why it is worth celebrating our independence and freedom. 

In summary, I think it is important to keep our history in focus -- both where we were just 11 years ago, and where we have come since 1776. I want to finish by quoting once again from my favorite Founding Father, Samuel Adams. Mr. Adams was something of a firebrand, and was not afraid to confront his fellow countrymen over their subservient nature. What he had to say to them in 1776 is just as relevant today.  Ponder his words: "If ye love wealth better than liberty, [and] the tranquility of servitude [better] than the animated contest of freedom -- go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!"

That may sound a little harsh, but we are at a time in our nation's history when you must choose your path. Are you willing to crouch down to those that promise to feed you? Or are you willing to stand for something more honorable and noble? Will you depend on the iron fist for your crust of bread, or will you make your own loaf?  Sam Adams was among a unique corps of men who understood that the right to make of themselves what they wished could never be compromised. It was a truth they understood as "self-evident". And they were willing to sacrifice their very lives for it. Are you?

1 Peter 2:16     "[Live] as free people, [yet] without employing your freedom as a pretext for wickedness; but [live at all times] as servants of God."

  

July 4th Thoughts 246 Years Later: The Spirit of '22

I am unabashedly proud of what July 4th stood for 246 years ago.  Mind you, I do love the fireworks and the parades and the flag-waving --- all of it! And I love the history of this momentous day. But, as we are gathered for family BBQs or enjoying a long holiday, I wonder how many Americans stop to consider what that first July 4th truly meant.  Considering that in a poll I saw this morning, only 39% of Americans are proud of our nation, I would venture that it's of primary importance that we revisit exactly why this holiday should be celebrated by every citizen.

I want to share a small portion of President John Adams' Inaugural Address. Adams, along with his cousin, Samuel Adams, played important roles in the foundational government of our country, and it is their vision that we desperately need to preserve. Adams spoke these prophetic words at his inauguration in 1797: "In this dangerous crisis the people of America were not abandoned by their usual good sense, presence of mind, resolution, or integrity. Measures were pursued to concert [in cooperation] a plan to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty. The public disquisitions, discussions, and deliberations [which have been] issued in the present happy Constitution of Government".

We are definitely "in a dangerous crisis" in this country! And how I wish the people of America still possessed the good sense, presence of mind, resolution and integrity that those brave men undertook to declare their independence from a tyrannical government. It wasn't all sunshine and roses, however. Much like today, the inhabitants of the 13 colonies were divided regarding the road the nation was going down. And full support of the Declaration of Independence was not supported by all members of the Continental Congress. A representative of Congress rode horseback 80 miles to reach Philadelphia and break a tie in support of independence. In fact, the names of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were withheld from the public for more than six months to protect the signers. If independence had not been achieved, the treasonable act of the signers would have, by English law, resulted in their deaths. They believed that strongly in their bid for freedom! It's not difficult for me to see that we have taken our independence and liberties for granted!

And we cannot celebrate this day without acknowledging that the Declaration did not address liberty for all. In its opening paragraphs, the statement is made, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights". I want to make two points here: 1) For the first time in history, leaders of men recognized that "Nature's God" had given all men certain rights that could not be usurped by tyrannical governments.  2) I recognize that this seems hypocritical in light of the fact that many of the Southern Founding Fathers were slaveholders.  The writings of the Founding Fathers show that many of them acknowledged that slavery violated the natural rights of the enslaved, but knew that the abolition of this abhorrent practice would need to take a back seat (for the time being) to the larger goal of securing the unity and independence of the United States from Britain.  Sadly, they "kicked the can down the road" to be dealt with by a future generation; the reality was that the freedom of the nation needed to come before they could address the freedom of the slaves. That issue would be dealt with 84 years later when the new nation was ripped asunder by the Civil War. We have not been a perfect nation -- and we still aren't -- but it's exceedingly important, now more than ever, that we protect the vision and concept of this free nation! We have come so far in a relatively short time when you consider the entire history of the world! 

So, what exactly was meant by "unalienable rights"?  As I wrote in a February 9, 2013 post, I would venture to say that most Americans have a distorted idea of what "unalienable" means.  I would further conclude that they think it takes its meaning from the word "alien", signifying that these "unalienable" rights were unfamiliar or foreign to men of that time.  That is a wrong interpretation, and we actually mispronounce the word altogether.  In 1776, when the Declaration was written, this word was not pronounced as un-alien-able; the correct enunciation was un-a-lien-able, as in "a lien", a form of security interest granted over an item of property to secure the payment of a debt.  For instance, the bank holds a lien against your car, until the note is paid off. 

What the Founding Fathers were actually saying was this:  the natural rights that have been given to us by God are not subject to a lien by any king or ruler; they are ours to possess outright. In other words, our rights are not determined by governments; or granted by them; and cannot be legislated by them.  It was the first time in the history of the world, that a nation of people dared to declare that they recognized God's rulership and authority as being above that of any monarch or crowned head. This was an important step in the evolution of a nation and of mankind.  The Founders of our nation were declaring that they were ready to live their lives as free men, unencumbered by the heavy hand of an oppressive authority; that they wanted to live their lives according to the "Laws of Nature", which in the 18th century meant certain fundamental principles or moral standards that were apparent to everyone.  

I ask you ... as a nation, are we still that people? Do we recognize the natural rights of ALL men? Are we willing to be governed by the fundamental principles and moral standards of the God of the Universe? Are we able to overcome the division that separated those original 13 colonies and which instigated the War Between the States? Oh, Lord, how I pray that we are still a people who resemble the ideals upon which this country took such a courageous leap! And if we aren't, what's to become of us? I recommend you consider that question with solemnity. You have a choice ... During this long weekend you can go back to your hamburgers and hot dogs, or laugh off my thoughts as inconsequential; OR you can do a serious study comparing who we were in 1776 and what we've become, and determine that it is worth fighting for and make the effort to teach your children its importance. 

Those were days of far-reaching consequences; just as these days are.  We are faced with no less a serious choice. Will we continue to labor under repressive directives from a governing body that pays no mind to our concerns? Or will we decide that our liberties are precious and worth standing up for? I contend that there is not much difference between the significance of that July 4th and this one.  The only question is are we as brave and committed as they were? And believe me, the future of our children and nation -- and maybe even their survival -- depends on understanding the significance of July 4th and why it is worth celebrating. 

Job 8:8-10     For inquire, please, of bygone ages, and consider what the fathers have searched out. For we are but of yesterday and know nothing, for our days on earth are a shadow. Will they not teach you and tell you and utter words out of their understanding?